


Just a little change

by magicalartist



Series: Tales as Old as Time [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 21:05:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3089714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicalartist/pseuds/magicalartist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Breakfast at the Mills House</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a little change

**Author's Note:**

> Part three of Tales as Old as Time, read in order to get the full effect.

They sat together for several long minutes in silence. Emma had resumed tracing circles over Regina’s arm, her breathing and pulse had evened out and that secure feeling was back. it wasn’t awkward anymore, thought Regina knew she needed to further address Emma’s comment. For now, she couldn’t bring herself to break the fragile peace and understanding they had come to.

Instead she relished in the feeling of being held. Robin had never made her feel like this, though he had tried. She had appreciated his eagerness, his desire to please her. his touch had brought arousal, but never comfort. She had loved knowing that she was wanted, that he found her beautiful, and at the time she had thought it was all she needed. Now she knew better.

Emma was a warm balm on her wounds. Emma knew her far better than anyone, Robin included. She knew Regina’s full story, and she didn’t make excuses for Regina. She accepted her for who she was. she didn’t expect perfection, but she did expect progress. Robin had never known Regina as the Evil Queen. Emma, in a weird twist of fate had now seen it twice, firsthand, yet still saw the best in her. she never excused Regina’s behavior when she had been darkhearted, but she understood it. and she called Regina to be better.

Robin hadn’t bonded with Henry, he had his own son to care for, a son Regina had come to love and adore. Emma loved Henry every bit as much as Regina did. She was fiercely protective, a quick study at parenting, and she seemed to understand that no matter what, Henry came first. Robin had tried to discourage that in Regina and it had angered her, as well as Emma.

Emma’s voice broke through her thoughts, bringing her back to the present, “what are you thinking about?”

Regina considered telling Emma that she was thinking about it being well past their bedtime as well, and that they should separate and get some rest, but thought better of it. “ Robin.”

Emma nodded and gave Regina a comforting squeeze, her strong arms settling around Regina more firmly, grounding her. “What about Robin?” Regina heard the hint of jealousy and distaste in Emma’s tone. Emma had tried to cover it, but failed.

Regina gently untangled herself from the savior’s arms and met her eyes. “ I was thinking about how different he is from you. How different I felt around him compared to when I am around you.”

Emma’s brows shot up, surprised, “oh? Different how?”

Regina shifted nervously, a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. “He smelled like forest, you smell like cinnamon and vanilla. He felt… strong, good I guess… you feel like…” her courage failed when she saw Emma’s confused expression.

She stared at her hands fidgeting on her lap, unable to meet Emma’s gaze, unable to continue. “Feel like what Regina?” Regina heard the thread of hope in Emma’s tone and met her eyes again to find the same look from earlier. Emma’s gaze searched Regina’s face, an almost teasing smile on her face.

“Home. You feel like Home, Emma.” The words tumbled out of Regina and Emma sat back, astonished for a moment. Then that chesire grin worked it’s way across her face, that ridiculously hopeful smile Emma had when Regina had told her that she didn’t want to kill her after Emma asked to be friends. That same smile was back, bigger than ever.

“Really?”

Regina was again tempted to get back to safer ground, come up with a comeback, something, anything to avoid the emotions boiling to the surface. But she was tired of running from her feelings. Tired of hiding how she felt, and she suspected Emma felt the same way, if her expression was any indication.

“Yes, really” she whispered. Emma grabbed Regina and yanked her into another hug, this one strong and fierce. Regina squeaked in protest but Emma only tightened her hold. Regina’s arms came around Emma hesitantly and returned the hug, matching Emma’s strength with her own. 

Emma finally let go and pulled away from Regina, clearing her throat. Regina caught the blush creeping up Emma’s neck at a curious rate. Regina grinned and Emma laughed nervously.

She glanced at the clock again, shocked to see that it was now 6 am.

“We have been up all night. You must be exhausted.”

Emma shrugged, and Regina saw the exhaustion in Emma’s eyes. She was beyond fatigued. Regina felt a pang of guilt for keeping Emma up for so long, comforting Regina at her own expense.

Regina stood and tugged Emma to her feet gently, ignoring her own wave of sleepiness. “come on, you can sleep in the spare room”

“ nah, I will just head home Regina, I don’t want to impose.”

Regina’s temper flared, “absolutely not! I will not have you driving in your state, I won’t hear it. You will stay here and that is the end of it.”

Emma sighed and nodded, too tired to argue further. Regina saw the ghost of a smile on her face as she headed for the stairs, Regina holding her up. They made it to the top of the stairs and into the guest room. Regina pulled back the covers and Emma fell into the bed. Regina half expected Emma to ask her to stay with her, and Emma looked as if she had seriously considered it but then her expression smoothed over as she gave herself over to sleep. Regina tugged the covers up over Emma and quietly left the room.

She retreated to her own room, and collapsed into her own bed in her clothes, makeup still on. She tugged the covers over herself noting that she could still smell Emma on her clothes. She smiled as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Emma’s arms around her.

Regina slept well at first, happy dreams and memories of Henry and Emma filled her mind, but eventually they turned. Her mind started replaying everything that had happened since she met Emma and she quickly began to realize she had a great deal to apologize for to the blonde. Namely leaving Emma to deal with her unchecked magic alone while she had been occupied with Robin. Guilt filled her over it and she tossed and turned for a while before waking herself up. She grabbed a pen and paper and jotted down several things she wanted to apologize to Emma for and resolved she would do it in the morning. finally, she drifted back off to sleep.

Regina woke a few hours later to the aroma of coffee. She rose slowly, confused until she remembered the events of the day before. She smiled. Emma must have awoken before her and make the coffee. She went to her vanity and was horrified at her appearance. “ no, this wont do.”

Regina showered and found fresh clothes, applied new makeup and checked her appearance again just to be sure, before heading down the stairs to join Henry and Emma. She grabbed the list from the previous night and tucked it into her pocket.

She found Emma in the kitchen, creating mouth watering aroma’s that could only mean Emma was cooking breakfast. Henry sat at the table bleary eyed. Regina gave her son a warm hug and headed for the coffee pot but Emma pointed her to the counter instead. “ I already poured you a cup, made just the way you like it. only one teaspoon of cream, and two teaspoons of sugar.”

Regina stared at Emma, “ you know how I take my coffee?”

“ what? I pay attention.” Regina’s eyebrows shot up as she took the coffee cup and tasted it. “ mmm, wow Emma, this is incredible.”

Emma blushed.

Henry joined them in the kitchen, pouting, “ I asked for some coffee but mom wouldn’t let me, she said you would kill her, then me, then her again.”

Regina ruffled her son’s hair affectionately and smirked at Emma, “ Smart decision Miss Swan. Though I think kill is a bit strong, don’t you?”

Emma smiled and shrugged, “ it got the point across.”

Henry’s pout deepened, “ its not fair, you two gang up on me now…”

Emma swatted his hand away from the biscuits and bacon she had just pulled from the oven, “ uh uh, sir, go set the table.”

Henry stuck his tongue out at Emma making Regina laugh. Emma turned in time to catch Henry before he adopted the innocent look and retreated from the kitchen. Emma swatted him on the behind lightly as he fled with the silverware. “ sneaky little twit.”

Regina helped Emma carry the food to the table, commenting that Emma had cooked to feed an army. Emma laughed, “Have you seen our boy eat?”

Regina chuckled, “yes, and I have also seen his mother eat, so I know where he gets it from.”

They sat down and ate together, Regina again settling into that nostalgic feeling, “I wish it was like this all the time, Emma staying here, us eating together, being a family.”

Both Henry and Emma froze, staring at Regina. Henry’s eyes lit up, while Emma looked embarrassed and blushed furiously. It took Regina a moment to realize that she had given voice to her thoughts. Then she blushed, Henry looking between his two mothers in mild surprise and then horror.

“ did you two… um… are you two… you know what? I don’t want to know…” he started shoveling his food down in record time, while his two mothers stared at their plates, unable to look up and meet the other’s gaze.

Henry finished eating a moment later, picked up his plate and asked to be excused. Regina let him go and quietly resumed eating, her ears still burning.

Henry returned a moment later, looking torn between being grossed out at the idea of his two mothers together, and being hopeful that they could be a family. “For the record moms, I want that too. I want us to be a family, I love when you two are getting along, and I am totally cool with you two dating… just don’t do “it” when I am around, okay?” His face was red from embarrassment. His two mothers stared at him, puzzled. Henry turned and fled to his room.

“You thought we are dating?” Regina managed to choke out after him but he was gone. She realized a moment later that she had the same tone of surprise that she did when Emma had told her that she thought they were friends. From the bemused expression on Emma’s face, she remembered it too.

Regina finished her breakfast in silence and took the plates to the kitchen. On her way out, she glanced at Emma to find her toying with the remainder of the eggs on her plate, her face flushed from embarrassment, confusion, and another raw emotion that had yet to surface.

Regina washed the dishes by hand in silence, processing everything that had happened over the last twenty four hours. Emma apologizing and hugging her, them spending hours playing Skyrim and completely losing track of the time. Regina’s emotions had gotten the better of her and she had revealed her feelings for the savior, not once, but several times. There was no room to retract it now, it was too late for that. Emma had revealed too much as well. They simply had to find out a way to go forward in light of the facts revealed. Regina wasn’t sure what would happen from here, if she and Emma would find a way to become that family, or if it was even possible. Both women had a number of issues that could get in the way, create so many issues, create a great deal of damage. More than anything she didn’t want Henry to become collateral damage.

She felt more than heard Emma as she entered the kitchen. Emma set down the plates beside the sink, grabbed a towel and began drying the dishes Regina had washed. They worked in silence, both seeming to understand that the other needed time.

Regina handed the last dish to Emma and watched as she dried it and put it away. Emma dried off her hands and handed the towel to Regina. Regina dried her hands, wiped down the counters and finally turned to face Emma who was still standing in the kitchen, watching Regina move about.

Regina finally met her gaze with a hint of a smile, “Well breakfast was interesting…”

Emma nodded, amusement dancing in her green eyes. “Yes, it sure was.” her expression quickly became serious.

Emma glanced at Regina then slowly made her way out of the kitchen. “ I should probably be on my way. I need to be at the office in an hour, and I still need to go home and shower. It was fun Regina, thank you for letting me spend time with you and Henry. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

Emma grabbed her red jacket and headed for the door. Regina stood frozen in indecision until she heard the door close softly behind her. That sound snapped her out of her reverie and into motion. Emma was climbing into her car when Regina reached her door.

“Emma, wait!”

Emma paused and stood again, leaning against the atrocious car she insisted on keeping. Regina approached quietly, still unsure of how she wanted to proceed.

“Regina… I have to go to work right now, I can come back by afterwards if you want to talk…”

Regina nodded, relieved, “yes, please do. I will fix dinner, and we can talk, we need to talk.”

Emma gave Regina a reassuring smile, “then I will see you after work.”


End file.
